Joss Whedon

The name Joss Whedon probably does not sound too familiar unless one is into science fiction TV shows and movies, but his work is known by nearly everyone in America. He created many great TV shows including Buffythe Vampire Slayer (1997), Angel (1999), Firefly (2002), and Dollhouse (2009); he also helped write on projects like Toy Story (1996), Serenity (2005), Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog (2008), Cabin in the Woods (2012), and the Avengers (2012).

Despite being widely unknown and unrecognized, Whedon and many of his works have received cult status. Firefly was only produced for 14 episodes with the movie Serenity made as a follow-up, yet fans (called “Browncoats”) stay wholly dedicated. In 2011, an internet campaign called Help Nathan Buy Firefly was started after Firefly star Nathan Fillion stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that if he won $300 million from the California lottery, he would use it to produce more episodes. The idea was for fans to donate money to help bring the beloved show back. In just one day, over $10,000 was pledged by fans. After a couple weeks Whedon announced he was not interested in Help Nathan Buy Firefly because he thought it would not work out and would be too hard to manage. Browncoats still hope for a revival. Buffy and Angel are also considered of the cult status, but do not have fan-backing for more episodes because they both aired for many seasons. Many fans of any or all of these shows and movies proclaim that anything Whedon works on must be good because he is such a talented man; he has yet to disappoint them.

Whedon helps with "Can't Stop the Serenity," which shows Serenity in theaters to benefit the charity Equality Now. Many of the Serenity cast and crew help with the charity as well. He also participates in Dark Horse Comics, producing a comic in the far future of the world of Buffy called Fray. Most of Whedon's current focus is on online projects.